Did you make the *security* naughty or nice list this year?

As we approach the end of the year, many of us are reflecting on what we accomplished in 2024 — what did we do well this year? What could we have done better? 

It's also the perfect time to reflect on how to improve your team’s security practices. Have you been staying ahead of threats or have you let a few vulnerabilities slip through the cracks? Just like the classic “naughty or nice” list, your team’s approach to security can make all the difference between getting a shiny new certification, or a lump of failed audit reports at the end of the year. 

This year, we’re spotlighting some of the most important security practices that either land teams on the naughty or nice list. Think of it as your security year-end review with actionable insights to carry into the new year.

Whether you’re taking steps toward integrating AI securely or moving to a zero trust architecture, there’s always room to improve your AppSec practices. Let’s see where your team stacks up — and how you can make sure next year’s list is nothing but nice! 

Naughty: Turning a blind eye to threats by skipping logs

Failing to implement comprehensive logging and real-time monitoring means missing critical insights into potential vulnerabilities. Without clear visibility, your team may be unaware of suspicious activity and other security events until it’s too late.

Nice: Taking a shift-left approach by identifying vulnerabilities as you write code

Integrating security into the development process with tools like Snyk Code ensures vulnerabilities are identified and resolved early in the development lifecycle, before they even reach production, minimizing downstream risks and inefficiencies.

Naughty: Letting legacy systems become security loopholes

Outdated systems often lack the safeguards needed to protect modern environments. Failing to update or secure them creates unnecessary exposure to threats.

Nice: Never trusting without verification — even inside your network

Adopting a "never trust, always verify" approach by implementing zero-trust architecture ensures that no user, device, or application has default access, significantly reducing opportunities for breaches or unauthorized actions.

Naughty: Leaving AI systems vulnerable to exploitation

Ignoring the risks of unsecured AI-generated code or adversarial attacks on machine learning models can lead to costly security gaps.

Nice: Using AI to stay ahead of attackers

Leveraging AI-powered tools like Snyk’s DeepCode AI enables faster and more accurate detection of vulnerabilities, helping teams respond before issues escalate.

Naughty: Failing to bring security and development together

Keeping security teams separate from development teams, rather than fostering collaboration, creates inefficiencies, delays, and missed opportunities to address vulnerabilities early in the pipeline.

Nice: Giving developers the knowledge to build securely

Equipping developers with the skills to understand and mitigate risks during the coding process through ongoing security education and training builds a proactive, security-conscious culture across the organization.

The nicest gift of all

No matter where your team currently stands on the “naughty or nice” list, there’s always an opportunity to improve your security posture. Snyk’s platform empowers developers and security teams to work together seamlessly, integrating security at every step of the software development lifecycle.

Ready to kick off the new year with a strong security foundation? Explore how Snyk can help your team stay on the nice list all year long. Learn more about securing Gen AI code and our approach to application security today.